Chapter 94 The Cook
As Shangguan Jin savored the pastries, her thoughts drifted far away.
I seem to remember eating a dessert with this flavor before.
At that time, the cook in the Shangguan family who made pastries was famous throughout the capital.
Shangguan Jin vaguely remembered that there were two cooks in the family who specialized in making pastries.
One of the cooks originally worked in the small kitchen in the courtyard of the old lady Shangguan. When Shangguan Jin got married, the old lady felt sorry for Shangguan Jin and let the cook go with her.
That cook is still making pastries in the kitchen of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion!
There's also a cook who makes delicious desserts...
She couldn't really be considered a cook; she was originally Shangguan Yao's wet nurse.
She makes excellent dishes and desserts.
Shangguan Jin remembered that she seemed to have eaten this kind of pastry when she was a child, although it was not as exquisite as the one in front of her now.
But the taste seemed the same as before.
Because this flavor of pastry contains fermented glutinous rice, it has both the aroma of alcohol and a unique fermented taste.
The fragrance of bamboo leaves and tea leaves blend together, creating a flavor that is not complicated but rather leaves a lingering aftertaste.
When they were little, she and Shangguan Yao both loved to eat it.
However, Madam Shangguan did not dare to let the two of them eat too much.
And then...
Shangguan Yao's wet nurse and cook also went to the palace with him.
But the wet nurse seemed to have disappeared before Shangguan Yao's accident.
Not only in the palace, but also in the capital, the Shangguan family had no trace of this person.
The official explanation was that Shangguan Yao, understanding her advanced age, allowed her to retire and return to her hometown.
However, Shangguan Jin had secretly sent people to investigate and found that the wet nurse had not returned to her hometown.
There's no one left in her hometown...
Thinking of this, Shangguan Jin looked at the plate of pastries in front of her, as if she had thought of something.
"These snacks taste good, you should all try them," Shangguan Jin said calmly.
Shen Qingyue and the others immediately picked up the bamboo skewers next to the plate and started tasting.
"Why use bamboo skewers? Wouldn't it be better to make them with silver skewers?" Shen Qingming asked first.
"The cook said that silverware belongs to metal and bamboo belongs to wood. Using goldware will ruin the original fragrance of bamboo."
Our cook is best at making these plant-based desserts.
"She can make it not only with bamboo, but also with all kinds of flowers and other plants that I can't even name," Lian Qianli explained with a smile.
Shen Qingming nodded and put the pastry in his mouth.
"Delicious! It's really delicious, not greasy at all, and the more you eat, the more fragrant it becomes. It would be even better with a pot of fragrant tea," Shen Qingming said as he ate.
Shen Qingjun, Shen Qingrui, and Shen Qingyu also nodded while eating.
Yes, it's quite delicious, and not at all overly sweet.
Shen Qingyue savored it carefully.
"Glutinous rice flour, tapioca flour, a little white sugar, milk, tea powder to enhance the tea flavor, and bamboo leaves that were probably crushed to extract the juice."
It seems to have the flavor of fermented rice wine, but I don't know what method was used to knead it.
No matter what other flavors were used, they couldn't mask the bamboo's original, fresh fragrance.
Shen Qingyue shared her thoughts while eating.
Hua Wanli nodded repeatedly from the side.
Look, this is what a well-bred young lady looks like; she learns everything.
She couldn't taste anything, she just knew it was damn delicious, and she could eat a whole plate by herself...
The seventh prince, who was sitting next to Shangguan Jin, was stunned when he took his first bite.
After chewing carefully for a couple of bites, he suddenly looked at Shangguan Jin.
"this......"
Shangguan Jin quietly tugged at the Seventh Prince's sleeve.
The seventh prince didn't speak, but simply swallowed the pastry in his mouth and then stared at the plate of pastries.
This taste seems familiar...
Three years ago, he often ate at his mother's palace.
Because it contained fermented rice wine, his mother didn't allow him to eat much; she only let him taste one piece each time.
"When you grow up and establish your own household, your mother will have Chen Mama accompany you to your household."
I'll make you delicious snacks every day.
The seventh prince thought of his departed mother again.
After seeing that everyone had finished eating, Shangguan Jin looked at Lian Qianli.
"Young Master Lian, these pastries are indeed excellent. It would take at least twenty years of experience to make such unique and delicious pastries."
Was this cook brought in from Jiangnan?
"Jiangnan is rich in bamboo, so you must be from some bamboo-producing region!" Shangguan Jin asked with a smile.
Lian Qianli smiled.
"Madam Shen really guessed wrong this time."
This cook is quite old, probably around fifty-five years old.
However, he was not from Jiangnan, but a native of the capital.
She had been helping out in other people's kitchens before, but when she saw that I was looking for a cook, she volunteered to come.
I had her try it in the kitchen, and she was indeed quite skilled.
Upon hearing this age, Shangguan Jin's heart skipped a beat.
If Shangguan Yao's wet nurse were still alive, she would be around fifty-five years old.
"Then... could we invite him to come and meet us?"
"My daughter is very filial and loves to experiment with these kinds of pastries. Perhaps this cook can give her some pointers!" Shangguan Jin continued.
Lian Qianli and Hua Wanli looked at each other, somewhat hesitant.
“Madam Shen, to be honest, this cook’s face is disfigured, which is a bit frightening…” Lian Qianli said hesitantly.
"His face was disfigured?" Shangguan Jin was stunned.
"I heard that he was scratched by some wild animal while visiting his hometown."
"Fortunately, his eyes weren't injured," Lian Qianli continued.
Shangguan Jin breathed a sigh of relief.
"Her disfigurement was not her intention. The person who can make such desserts must be broad-minded and wouldn't care about such things."
You can't judge a book by its cover; even someone with an ugly face can have a kind heart.
"Young Master Lian, are you worried that my Miss Yue will learn the skills of a cook and ruin the teahouse's business?" Shangguan Jin joked.
Upon hearing this, Lian Qianli quickly waved his hand.
“What do you mean, Madam? I’ll ask the cook to come over right away.”
With that, he got up and went downstairs.
Hua Wanli found it amusing to watch from the sidelines.
“Madam Shen, you’re right. When this cook applied for the job, my brother said she wasn’t pretty and would scare away the customers!”
I told you, as long as you have real skills, that's enough.
She was a cook, busy in the kitchen, and didn't have to greet the guests.
That's just how my brother is. After spending a lot of time with the girls at the brothel, he starts to judge people by their appearance.
Madam Shen, you should teach him a lesson in the future.
"I've noticed, he respects you quite a bit," Hua Wanli said with a smile.
Shangguan Jin smiled, nodded, and then looked at Shen Qingjun and the others.
"Jun-ge'er, take Ming-ge'er, Rui-ge'er, and Yu-jie'er to find Aunt Dong and Aunt Xin."
Then I'll go to Taoyuanxuan to get two servings of snacks to take back to the old lady when I go back.
After buying the dim sum, they waited for us at Jufulou.
"Huh?" Shen Qingjun and the others, who wanted to stay longer, were reluctant to leave.
"What? You don't want to go?" Shangguan Jin raised an eyebrow.
"No, Mother, I'll take my younger siblings to find Aunt Dong and the others right away."
As Shen Qingjun spoke, he got up and led his younger siblings out.
The Seventh Prince sat quietly next to Shangguan Jin.
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